Greek Historical Calendar •••

Greek Historical Calendar courtesy of Dr. James F. Dimitriou Jan :: Feb :: Mar :: Apr :: May :: Jun :: Jul :: Aug :: Sep :: Oct :: Nov :: Dec January Event January 1 The Feast Day of St. Basil the Great January 6 Epiphany January 7 The Feast Day of St. John the Baptist January 8 Blessing of the Waters, Epiphany celebrated January 17 The Feast Day of St. Anthony January 23, 1949 President Truman Loans Presidential Plane to Archbishop Athenagoras to fly to Constantinople to become Ecumenical Patriarch January 24, 1946 Ahepa Hospital Project in Greece January 21, 1929 Ahepa Hesperia Chapter #152 formed in Los Angeles January 21, 1947 San Bernardino Greek Orthodox Community incorporated January 30, 1930 League of Nations Population Exchange where Greece receives 1.3 million refugees January 30 The Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs Top February Event February 3, 1926 Sons of Pericles Founded February 6, 1929 Ahepa's first Congressional Banquet February 14, 1947 St. Barbara Church is formed in Santa Barbara, California February 17, 1958 St. Katherine's first Liturgy is celebrated in Redondo Beach, California February 21, 1885 Washington Monument Dedicated with Cornerstone of Marble from Greece February 21, 1909 Omaha, Nebraska Riot Drives 1200 Greeks out of town February 26, 1931 Archbishop Athenagoras Enthroned February 28, 1927 Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego is incorporated Top March Event March 3, 1894 "Atlantis" first Greek-American Newspaper, Published in New York City March 3, 1929 Ahepa Patrol march in Inaugural Parade for President Herbert Hoover March 4, 1891 Lucas Lilitiades Miller, first Greek elected to Congress (in Wisconsin) March 5, 1928 Alexander Pantages opens his first Movie Theater March 7, 1947 Dodecanese Islands returned to Greece March 11, 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes an Ahepan March 11 The Feast Day of St. Theodore March 12, 834 A.D. Sunday of Orthodoxy, Icons are restored by Empress Theodora March 14, 1948 First Ahepa Health center Dedicated in Greece March 19, 1919 Greek Ladies Benevolent Society of Los Angeles is founded March 23, 1929 GAPA (Greek American Progressive Association) Chapter "Thession" formed in Los Angeles March 24, 1984 Greek-Americans in the Arts and Entertainment founded March 25, 1821 Greek Independence Day March 25, 1943 "Greek Day" proclaimed by Red Cross March 25, 1946 President Truman joins the Ahepa March 25 Annunciation of the Theotokos March 30, 1967 Hellenic Society of Constantinople founded Top April Event April 1, 1959 Archbishop Iakovos Enthroned April 2, 1915 The "National Herald" (Ethnikos Kyrix) is published in New York City April 8, 1951 Goya Founded April 13, 1204 4th Crusade captures Constantinople April 14, 1528 Don Theodoros, first Greek to arrive in New World (see October 1, 1528) April 23 The Feast Day of St. George April 24, 1915 Armenian Martyrs Day Commemorationg the 1.5 million killed by the Turks April 26, 1918 Greek Americans sell a record $10 million in Liberty Bonds Top May Event May 4, 1968 Ahepa New Smyrna Monument dedicated on 200th Anniversary of 1st Hellenic Settlement in America May 6, 1919 Greek forces land in Smyrna under allied escort. May 11, 1922 Greek Orthodox Church in America proclaimed an Archdiocese. May 13, 1883 George Papanicolaou's birthday, discoverer of "Pap Smear" test. May 20, 1941 20,000 Nazi parachutists with 600 planes invade Crete. May 21 The Feast Day of Sts. Constantine and Helen May 27, 1947 Truman Doctrine sending aid to Greece begins May 29, 1453 "Black Tuesday," Constantinople falls to the Turks. May 29, 1963 Ahepa Truman Memorial dedicated in Athens. Top June Event June 9, 1904 Greek Benevolent Society of Los Angeles formed June 14, 1909 Greek community of Los Angeles formed June 17, 1979 Ahepa St. Basils Hall for Boys June 25, 1955 St. Nicholas Church incorporated in Northridge, California June 26, 1768 "New Smyrna" Florida, first Greek Colony in the New World. June 27, 1917 Greece enters World War I June 27, 1979 Sts. Constantine and Helen Church incorporated in Solano Beach, California June 29 The Feast Day of Sts. Peter & Paul Top July Event July 2, 1917 Greece declares war on Central Powers July 5, 1930 Maids of Athena founded. July 15, 1907 Riots against Greek owned shops in Roanoke, Virginia July 17, 1203 4th crusade storms Constantinople July 17, 1912 Saint Marina Day, also Icarian Independence Day. July 18, 1972 Ecumenical Patriarch, Dimitrios I enthroned July 20, 1974 Turkish Army invades and occupies Cyprus July 26, 1922 The Order of Ahepa was founded in Atlanta, Georgia July 29, 1984 First Greek, Alex Spanos, to buy a professional football team (San Diego Chargers). Top August Event August 1, 1970 Ahepan, Jim Londos becomes World Wrestling Champion August 7, 1965 43rd Ahepa Supreme Convention is held in Athens for the first time. August 11, 1828 Lt. General George Jarvis, first American to join the Greek War of Independence August 15 Dormition of Virgin Mary August 15, 1909 Founding of the Marmarinon Benevolent Society of Afthoni in Los Angeles August 15, 1949 Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Long Beach, California opens August 17, 1941 Ahepa hosts first Pan Hellenic Congress August 26, 1930 George Dilboy Monument dedicated in Somerville, MA August 29, 1928 Ypsilanti Statue dedicated in Michigan August 29 The Commemoriation of the beheading of St. John the Baptist Top September Event September 1, 1778 John Geannopoulos builds oldest wooden school house in St. Augustine, Florida September 4, 1983 Upland Church in Redlands formed September 7, 1974 Hellenic American Council (Save Cyprus Council) Founded September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos September 9, 1922 The "Great Catastrophe," the fall of Smyrna to the Turks September 10, 1920 First Greek School opened in Los Angeles September 11, 1985 Greek Heritage Society of Southern California founded September 14 Exhaltation of the Holy Cross September 19, 1842 Constantinos Brumidi, the Michaelangelo of the Capitol, paints the dome and murals of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. September 25, 1922 Chapter of the Order of Ahepa, Atlanta, Georgia September 27, 1952 St. Sophia Cathedral opens in Los Angeles September 27, 1926 Greek Ladies Soceity of Los Angeles formed Top October Event October 1, 1528 Don Theodoros birthday, first Greek in New World (see April 14, 1528) October 2, 1991 Death of Patriarch Dimitrios I October 5, 1799 First Greek church wedding in New Orleans October 9, 1492 John Griego, Greek sailor with Columbus October 10, 1592 Juan De Fuca (Yiannis Flokas) discovers Straits with his name in Vancouver October 12, 1921 Eleftherios Venizelos vacations in Santa Barbara, California October 12, 1973 St. Nectarios Church in Covina, California celebrates its first liturgy October 14, 1923 First Ahepa Supreme Convention in Atlanta, Georgia October 18, 1912 Greece enters the Balkan War October 20, 1827 Battle of Navarino, Greek fleet defeats the Turks and wins independence October 22, 1991 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I enthroned October 23 The Feast Day of St. Iakovos (James) October 26, 1912 Greek army recaptures Salonika October 26 The Feast Day of St. Dimitrios October 28, 1940 "Oxi Day," Greeks say "No" to Italians fascist invaders. October 28, 1942 Ahepa war bond drive Top November Event November 1, 1948 Archbishop Athenagoras named Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople November 8, 1940 Greek War Relief Association Founded by Spyros Skouras November 14, 1977 St. Paul's Church founded in Irvine, California November 13 The Feast Day of St. John Chrysostom November 16, 1929 The Daughters of Penelope formed in San Francisco, California November 16, 1912 600 Greeks parade in downtown Los Angeles in support of Greece in the Balkan Wars November 25 The Feast Day of St. Katherine November 30 The Feast Day of St. Andrew Top December Event ** December 1, 1944 Ahepa sells record $162 or $500 million in war bonds. December 1, 1948 Valley Hellenic Society formed December 4, 1981 Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce founded December 4 The Feast Day of St. Barbara December 6 The Feast Day of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra December 7, 1965 Great Schism ends with mutual lifting of excommunications by Patriarch Atheegoras and Pope Paul VI December 17, 1923 GAPA, Greek American Progressive Association formed. December 18, 1803 57 Greek women fell to their deaths at Zalongou, Epiros rather than fall to hands of the Turks. December 20, 1932 National Philoptochos formed December 27 The Feast Day of St. Stephen, First Martyr December 29, 1917 Record number of Greek Americans (25%) enlist in the U.S. Army in World War I December 29, 1984 Pan Macedonian Association formed Top

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